People who use exercise machines (e.g. exercise bicycles, rowing machines, treadmills weight machines, steppers and the like) increasingly perform these activities while watching a video presentation that mimics the sights and/or sounds of traveling through a remote location (hereafter called “forward motion video”), playing a video game or navigating digital content. By engaging the mind in these ways users tend to exercise for longer periods of time, with increased vigor and to perform the exercise more consistently. Such prior art systems include a video display and exercise equipment with at least one sensor mounted to the equipment or to the user so that the activity level may be determined by a feedback mechanism enabling a processor to control the video presentation as a function of user activity. Prior art examples:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,789 to Hector et al. discloses a video game, or an exercise system utilizing a video display, that is played by movement of the game player's feet. The apparent objective is to require the game player to exercise while playing the game by moving his feet. However, the game player is required to move at the game's speed. The game in no way alters to conform to the individual's fitness level.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,095 to Lapeyre discloses an exercise device connected to a video machine. The speed of the exercise device, and the accompanying video display, is controlled by the exerciser. As the exerciser signals an increase in speed to the exercise device, an accompanying signal is sent to the video machine, so that the exerciser is presented with a visual display of the increase in speed. The exercisers heart rate is monitored and displayed on a T.V. monitor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,567 to Phillips discloses an exercise bicycle used to operate a video game. The game player receives exercise while operating the bicycle, and at the same time, moving the handlebars. The video game operates at a preset speed, thus making no allowance for the fitness of the player.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,817 to Buckley discloses an exercise machine that allows for movement of a control rod, e.g., a handlebar, to provide two degrees of freedom to a controllable character in a video display. Resistance is provided to the handlebar to ensure that physical exertion is required by the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,001,632 to Hall-Tipping discloses a combination of a video game system and an exercise device whereby the play action of the video game is controlled by reference to the exercisers heart rate and the output level of the exercise device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,069 to Hall-Tipping discloses an apparatus which couples an exercise device to a video game in which the heart rate of the user (aerobic level) and the exercise device output level (bicycle pedal rate) are coupled to a standard video game in addition to the normal game hand controls. The video game difficulty and game piece movement level as well as the pedal resistance are changed in response to the heart rate signal in order to keep the user exercising at the desired or programmed rate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,519 to Hsu et al discloses a computer controlled running machine which tilts and changes endless belt speed in synchronization with a computer CD programmed with various road conditions and sounds. The CD provides visual images and sounds of the road to the user via a head mounted visual-acoustic mask. There is no mechanism to vary the visual or audio effects due to the activity of the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,411 to Rackman et al discloses an exercise bike coupled through a speed sensor and a noise generator to a TV to introduce noise into the TV channel if the user exercises below a preset level or above another preset level.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,417 to Smithson et al discloses an arcade type bicycle racing simulation device which visually portrays, in an animated video scene, a riders movements on an exercise bike in response to a variable terrain in the computer generated animated video. Sensors on the bicycle sense pedal speed and leaning position and feed this information to a computer which uses computer animation to change the position of an animated figure in the video scene of the track.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,678 to Friedebach et al discloses a skiing simulation device that is coupled to a video display which shows images of the terrain that the skier is moving over. The video system such as a video tape may send control signals to servo-motors to increase or decrease resistance to the movement of the skates depending on the viewed terrain on the tape.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,296 discloses an interactive exercise device that utilizes interactive compact disc driven adventure scenarios and the users physical responses to generate different outcomes to the computer generated scenarios presented on the video monitor. Speed and timing of exercise actions are required in order to advance through the scenario program.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,503 to Benjamin et al and U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,200 to Ulrich et al disclose a networked computer generated environment through which one or more users navigate on an exercise device such as a recumbent exercise bicycle with pedals and a steering control. The computer controls the resistance against pedaling and generates display of the relative positions of the networked users in the computer generated environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,243 Hall-Tipping discloses a combination of a video game system and an exercise device whereby the play action of the video game is controlled by reference to the users heart rate and the output level of the exercise device with the ability to regulate both the exercise device and the play of a video game according to the activity level of an exerciser.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,243 to Ewert discloses a visual-image stream a prerecorded scene or a graphically generated scene replayed from commonly available analog and digital visual-image storage devices, such as a videotape, a compact disk (CD), a digital video disk (DVD), or other storage devices. Alternatively, the visual-image stream may be a recording that the user made of a favorite course or jogging trail. To make exercise more interesting, exercisers want to more closely simulate outdoor exercise.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,243 to Ewert, discloses a forward motion video controlled by a sensor that may be adapted to different exercise machines.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,913 to Ewert discloses real-time augmentation of forward motion video but requires extensive sensors network to be attached to the exercise machine.
20050075213 to Arick discloses forward-motion video controlled by a sensor, such as pedometer or accelerometer, mounted to the user.
However, the prior art falls short of providing the desired functionality because oftentimes users will exercise on multiple machines in a single visit to the gym. These different machines will include different exercise modalities, such as rowing, walking, cycling, stair climbing, weightlifting, etc., modalities which include different motions and utilize different parts of the body in different ways. Buttons and text are usually too small to use while exercising. Another problem with forward motion video and gaming in the exercise context is that it is inconsistent with the goal of following a particular exercise regimen.
It is therefore desirable to provide a system that enables users to exercise on a variety of machines while receiving the benefits provided by forward motion video, gaming and/or viewing digital content that is responsive to the exercise performed and/or the ability to interact with or guide a video presentation while continuing to perform these exercises. Furthermore, it is desirable that the sensing technology(ies) be capable of operating on different machines, especially to do so without requiring physical set up or customization and furthermore to do so with minimal software set up. It is desirable to provide a system that can be moved from machine to machine quickly and easily. It is desirable to provide a system that can be adapted for use on different machines by modifying software rather than modifying hardware. Furthermore, it is desirable to leave the user unencumbered by sensors on their person, both to minimize the weight and restriction but also to avoid the risk of physical harm caused by a sensor catching on or otherwise interfering with the exercise equipment during use. Yet furthermore, it is desirable to provide a system that can be used in an environment that is visually dynamic and acoustically noisy. Furthermore, it is desirable to provide means for a forward motion video exercise system to receive input from a user whose hands and feet may be preoccupied with exercise activities.